Total births
972
Boys' name · since 1917
Sy
Sy has 972 recorded births since 1917 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2003 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7308
- among boys today
- 972
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
972 babies have been named Sy since 1917, making it today's #7308 boys' name.
Sy has 972 recorded births among boys since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7308 as of the latest data, more common than 49% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #7308 among boys today
- 972 born since 1917
- 2000s peak decade
- 49% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sy is currently the #7308 boys' name in America, more common than 49% of boys - 972 born since 1917, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7308
- among boys today
- 972
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other boys
Sy vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#7308
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 49% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Sy was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
33 babies were named Sy in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Sy compares
972 Top 31% higher than 69% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sy's all-time total is 165% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sy | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 972 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 33 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sy's full recorded timeline at 1989, 64% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 36% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1918, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2003 peak of 33 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#7,308
Active since
1917
Sy popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Sy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Sy's strongest decade.
249 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Sy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 12
1910s
12 births
- 1920s 17
1920s
17 births
- 1930s 11
1930s
11 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 32
1950s
32 births
- 1960s 32
1960s
32 births
- 1970s
1970s
103 births
- 1980s
1980s
147 births
- 1990s
1990s
149 births
- 2000s
2000s
249 births
- 2010s
2010s
157 births
- 2020s 58
2020s
58 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 249 births (26% of all-time use).
How Sy compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sy's total volume
Sy vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sy by state
Where Sy concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12 | 1.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 6 | 0.6% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 5 | 0.5% |
California share of Sy's total US births 1.2%
Even split
12 of 972 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sy? ▼
972 babies have been named Sy since 1917. It currently ranks #7308 among boys. The peak year was 2003 with 33 births.
When was Sy most popular? ▼
Sy was most popular in the 2000s decade with 249 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Sy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sy are California (12 births), Texas (6 births), Louisiana (5 births).
How long has the name Sy been used? ▼
Sy has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 109 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Sy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sylvester, Sydney, Sylas, Syed, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sy's data
- Sy's decade-level peak was the 2000s (249 total births); usage has since declined to 58 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Sys (12 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sy
Nearby Names Like Sy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sy
Sylvester Boy
#2098 43,230 births
Sydney Boy
#4075 9,404 births
Sylas Boy
#486 8,889 births
Syed Boy
#1626 6,032 births
Sylvan Boy
#1892 3,684 births
Compare Sy side by side: Sy vs Sylvester Sy vs Sydney Sy vs Sylas
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sy
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sy: #7308 Boys' Name - 972 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sy. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sy draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.